Migration to the US: Post-war period

The number of migrants leaving for the US after the second World War between 1946 and 1996 was 11,601. This makes the US the country with the smallest number of Maltese migrants. Peak levels of migration occurred early, in 1950 and 1952 when over 1000 migrants went to the US annually. Thereafter the number decreased to just over a couple of hundred a year.

Return migration from US over this period of 50 years amounted to 2580 and usually amounted to no more n about a hundred a year or less -the only exception was 1975 when a peak of 269 migrants returned to Malta.

Migration to and from the US 1946-1996 (Bottom line refers to number of returning migrants)

Migration to US - Statistics

YEAR

Emigrants

Returns

1945

1

0

1946

67

12

1947

351

13

1948

654

12

1949

302

9

1950

1022

24

1951

831

30

1952

1294

44

1953

683

98

1954

299

53

1955

266

110

1956

217

27

1957

292

47

1958

196

30

1959

174

8

1960

142

3

1961

108

3

1962

76

6

1963

92

3

1964

87

2

1965

282

0

1966

282

0

1967

261

0

1968

258

2

1969

299

26

1970

219

32

1971

178

3

1972

213

13

1973

253

12

1974

252

21

1975

226

269

1976

162

76

1977

126

113

1978

246

63

1979

205

158

1980

129

61

1981

106

92

1982

104

88

1983

103

69

1984

86

56

1985

99

59

1986

72

43

1987

49

27

1988

41

105

1989

43

60

1990

27

104

1991

20

160

1992

23

85

1993

12

66

1994

35

78

1995

36

61

1996

0

44

Total

11601

2580

The following table gives comparative figures for the various countries. It is seen that return migration from the US was one of the lowest of all major host countries, being only 22.24 percent of all migrants.

Summary of Migration changes 1946 - 1996

Country

To

From

Net Migration

Return %

Australia

86787

17847

68940

21.56

Canada

19792

4798

14997

24.24

UK

31489

12659

18830

40.20

US

11601

2580

9021

22.24

Other

1647

907

740

55.07

Total

155060

39087

115973

25.21

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